Castle Utgard: The legend of Hogi and Lugi
by Grim Revolution
Summary: Running away was never the Viking way… but who ever said Hiccup was a normal Viking? Pray to Odin… the boy's gone mad… Takes place during and after the Kill Arena
1. The Jouney to Utgard

Castle Utgard: The Legend of Hogi and Lugi

_The Journey to Utgard_

When Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was born, the full moon turned black.

Darkness covered the orb and the stars gleamed mockingly as the Vikings panicked. During the night, the wind howled like the grey wolves, invisible fingers gripping at the trees, almost tearing them out of the ground. Roofing on houses was almost ripped off, sending a few families into the shelter of the mess hall.

They were not astrologists, they were not philosophers or learned men; only warriors, leaving the lunar eclipse to send them into chaos. Believed that Loki would touch upon the child and mother going into labor that same night, Stoick fell to prayer. They all knew that the child was too early, was expected to be small, and possibly, dead.

But the act was not caused by Loki, no, The Goddess Nótt touched the night with her gentle caress as her fellows did their own work. Most of the Gods felt that the boy would be useless. "Let him die," one had said, but Baldr would not have it. The God of peace and rebirth breathed life into the baby, as Vör and Kvasir placed upon him their own blessings.

Stoick's prayer had been answered by the most unlikely of fellows while, under the large roots of Yggdrasill, the World Tree, four other gods created a beast to do their bidding at Ragnarök. Hel, who was forced by Odin, filled the monster with a breath of death and scales that could withstand even the sharpest sword, Thor granted it the speed with agility of lightning, giving it beautiful and powerful wings, and Reés breathed fire into its soul.

When they had left to come back another day, however, Hlín whispered it the secrets of consolation and sang lullabies of coves and fish… and a boy with green eyes and hair like a unkept sword, quelling nightmares only a Dragon of Death could have.

When the creature was finally placed on Midgard, Hiccup's mother departed from the world, and Night touched them both with gentle, soothing hands. To each, it made them different. For one, he would never fit in, ridiculed and harassed to the point of exhaustion. The other would be the unholy offspring; to destroy and bring fear to all that it challenged.

The gods had touched them both for their own purposes—Thor even nicknamed the boy Hogi—but only the Norns would ever recognize and see the future for what they would become.

And what would become _of_ them.

* * *

"Hiccup!" Astrid cried, looking around frantically before choosing the hammer sitting on the ground. A swift motion of her foot and the handle landed in her hand. She spun around on her heel and the weapon smacked the dragon in the snout, bringing furious, gleaming eyes to her small form. The Nightmare gave the blonde no warning as it switched targets, coming easily after her and forcing the young woman to scramble frantically out of its way, slipping on the smooth stone.

The gate blocking their escape was easily wrenched open. "This way!" Stoick yelled out, his hands motioning frantically even as Astrid and Hiccup already moved to sprint towards him. Always being more athletic, the girl got to the opening first, caught by the chief when she stumbled.

Flames sprung up before Hiccup, lighting up the wall and making his father cover Astrid with his powerful body. The fire and heat sent the boy careening backwards, racing away from the Nightmare as it latched onto the wall, talons digging viciously into the grey stone. It launched towards the boy, knocking him over. Hiccup rolled just in time to avoid being skewered by the curved claws creating an inescapable cage around his body.

Something else, however, awoke over the cries and furious grumbling of the dragon; the unmistakable sound of something splitting the air in half. Toothless, in one single bound, soared over the heads of the audience and blasted a hole through the iron. The arena filled with dark smoke as the blackness swirled off the yellow colored metal. Hiccup pushed against the Nightmare's claws as it was momentarily distracted by the mass of ebony scales ripping and tearing at its own red and orange armor.

"Somebody get in there and help him!" Someone roared over the crowd as forms began to make shape once more, flapping wings clearing the smoke. A roar of agony tore through the air and Hiccup was let loose, the Nightmare focusing on the hatred of the dragon on its back.

The Night Fury gave the bigger creature no mercy; talons that could cut through rock gouged deep into the muscle of the Nightmare even as they rolled into full view of everyone, out of the smoke and into the light.

Gobbler proclaimed Toothless' species aloud, awed at his first glimpse of the legendary figure, but the dragon could've cared less when the Nightmare used its flexibility to its advantage and turned the tables, getting the ebony dragon onto his back. Their jaws snapped, long, sharp teeth coming dangerously close to the unprotected, ebony underbelly. But still, Toothless clawed, throwing the creature off with a mighty shove of his back feet and rolling onto his awkward but powerful legs.

A stalemate was reached with the larger beast, not daring to evoke the rage filled Night Fury as it defended Hiccup—who was on the floor both in shock and rubbing his heavily bruised arm from where the larger dragon had ran him over before as he had tried to grab a shield. They both roared and screeched before the Nightmare backed down, flinching away, then scrambled away to get as far from Toothless as it could, dark blood splattering on the arena floor.

Seeing the minor danger pass, Hiccup scrambled to his feet, rushing underneath the raised wing and clutched frantically at his friend's head. "All right, Toothless; go! Get out of here!" He tried to push the dragon away, but the green eyes were narrowed and watching the swarm of Vikings (big and small) sliding past the iron bars blocking the captured dragons' escapes. "Go! _Go!_"

Then Hiccup saw his father grab an axe off the wall. His leaf-like eyes widened in horror before he made a quick and rash decision; he mounted the dragon. "_GO!_" He ordered, and Toothless was too eager to oblige. With a powerful thrust, they were air born, and a swift ball of blue fire made short work of the chains above. The two of them soared through the roof before shooting off over the island, heading towards the valley where they had first formed their friendship.

Hiccup was shaking, his eyes wide, hands slick with sweat. He steered Toothless by instinct and when they landed, quickly dismounted and stumbled onto his knees. "What have I done?" The teen whispered, only his hands holding him above the ground, green eyes staring at the dirt blankly. "Odin, what have I _done_?"

Nudging the boy softly with his nose, the dragon looked the boy over, his lips curling up into a snarl at the sight of an ugly navy slowly appearing on his arm. Whining, Toothless curled around the frantic boy—too far deep in shock—and purred softly, easing the teen back into awareness.

For a long moment, they sat there, both taking comfort in the other before Hiccup raised a small hand and rested it on the black scales. "I can't go back," he said matter-of-factly. "T-they won't…" he trailed off and sniffed, rubbing at his eyes with his sleeve. "We got to… got to think this through," The teen's voice became softer, thoughtful, "because _that_ idea certainly didn't go as planned."

Toothless huffed in agreement and pulled the boy closer, snuggling against the small body, offering his own warmth. Hiccup closed his eyes, but him thoughts were focused on one thing alone; the unadulterated rage etched across his father's face.

The redhead quickly stood, looking over his friend and grabbing the woven bag he had left the night before. It held everything he would've needed before, and it served the same purpose now. His hands worked clumsily as he strapped on the harness he had discarded last night, pulling the vest over the leather. "Toothless, we have to get out of here, before… before they—" The dragon snorted and turned, giving the boy easy access to his back before, once again, shooting up into the heavy summer air, the sun beating down on their backs.

Hiccup found himself guiding the dragon absently; he didn't dare look back, but the temptation was too much and, with a soft sigh, the teen glanced over his shoulder. There was a flash of blonde in the trees before it was gone, vanishing behind bark and needles. Small hands latched onto the saddle harder than necessary as the boy found his breath hitching once more, tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. Angrily, he rubbed at them with his sleeve, but couldn't stop the flow now running down his cheeks.

Rumbling in worry, Toothless angled himself at a dark splotch on the horizon, flying horizontal to the cloud of mist blocking the nest from view.

Home—_no_ Hiccup thought viciously—_Berk_ was behind them now, further and further behind as large wings flapped and the teen automatically adjusted.

Home was where the heart lived.

* * *

The first part of this chapter has been edited for modernization purposes.

No information has been changed, only the writing.

Happy Reading! (And reviewing!)

Grim


	2. In the Home of the Peasants

**DID YOU KNOW:** _That Yggdrasill was considered The World Tree with its roots stretching into Niflehiem and chewed on by Nidhogg (literally; The Corpse Eater) until Ragnarök? The trunk marked Midgard and was the home to Jormugandr (the Midgard Serpent who held the world together—think Pangaea here). Up in the higher branches was Valhalla, the Hall of Odin._

* * *

_**In the Home of the Peasants**_

Hiccup was jolted awake in the middle of the night by the loneliest noise he had ever heard before it was joined into a chorus by others. He shivered and pressed back into Toothless, listening silently under the black wing. The howls grew louder, each one a different pitch.

It was the ugliest and most horrible sound the boy had ever heard. He _hated_ it.

Shivering, Hiccup tucked himself closer to the ebony hide, pressing his face closer, trying to drown out the sound, but he couldn't. Even when his eyes slowly fell again, once the wolves had finished, the chords were still ringing in his ears.

He woke up again to Toothless lifting his wing, the sunlight streaming in. For a moment, Hiccup didn't want to get him and just sit there for the rest of his life, ignoring the world and just staying close to the Night Fury. But he knew it wouldn't be so. They would not be able to spend every night outside.

Grunting, Hiccup forced himself up onto his feet, rubbing at his terribly itchy and dry eyes. He blinked rapidly a few times before giving up and walking over to the basket he had brought with them, flicking over the lid. It was filled with all sorts of knickknacks; the tools he regularly had used in the forge (they were too small for Gobber's hands anyway), a few fur blankets, some fish-in-a-bag (he tossed that over to Toothless who devoured the small meal in three gulps), some clothing, spare leather and iron he had stolen from the smithy, and enough rope to wrap up the Night Fury like a mummy.

Toothless stood up with him, shaking his body like a dog and padding over to the boy with a slight bounce to his step. His black tail twitched even as he pressed his nose underneath the thin arm and looking down into the basket. He whined at the sight of tools instead of food. Hiccup pulled the pack over his shoulder and began to walk.

They had landed yesterday on the island, soon after they had left Berk. It was south west of Berk, with tall cliffs on every side, making it almost impossible to dock and the raging waves had crashed a multitude of longboats. None of the other Vikings would be able to come close or even find him unless, of course, they suddenly became friends with the dragon or sprouted wings.

Hiccup kicked out at a rock, watching it hit a log and make a loud thunk. Behind him, Toothless was, without a doubt, enjoying himself after being stuck in the valley for so long. He was bounding off the thick trunks of the trees, launching his body into the air before coming down. The teen watched him for a while, a small grin on his face, before he continued to look around.

It was around noon when he found something even remotely close to something he could use; it was a cave, barely big enough to fit Toothless, and extremely dark inside. He needed the dragon to get around and was already thinking of ways to solve that problem. There was just only one major setback; it was _freezing_. Outside, even when the sun had already warmed the surroundings, it was nice and Hiccup had even taken off his vest, in the cave, he was forced to put the fur back on. Not to mention, even if he lit a fire to keep it warm, the smoke would just stay inside.

Sighing, the teen turned, facing the entrance, and saw something he hadn't noticed before when walking inside. There was a large Redwood tree—at least twenty-six feet in diameter—blocking the view of the horizon. He hadn't really paid attention to it before, but now… now Hiccup was grinning and thinking, walking out of the cave and running his hand over the soft bark. It flaked away under his hand.

Swinging the basket down from his shoulder, the teen walked all the way around the large tree. It towered above him, almost three hundred and sixty feet. Moss grew across the red-brown coloring, lighting it up spectacularly with the contrasting colors. Hiccup bit his lip, looking back over at Toothless who was watching him in curiosity. The tree was huge and had probably been here for a long time. A timeless gentle giant. He looked over at the others, just as large, before deciding.

Hiccup pulled a carving tool from the basket running it over the bark before digging it into the wood. The sent of sap hit him in the nose and he kept digging, pulling away large chunks of wood. After a few minutes of watching him, Toothless began to dig his claws into the tree, creating a space just large enough for the dragon to squeeze in.

They both worked for hours, the teen soaked in sweat, his shirt clinging to his form until he had taken it off. They had to take a break for Hiccup to sharpen his tool. Due to the Night Fury's powerful scratches, they were about six inches into the wood, with a very long way to go. Sighing, the redhead dutifully ran a rock over the blade, carefully sharpening the iron until it could easily cut through the tree once more.

Howls started up again after an hour of fierce digging. Toothless paused, looking up at the sky and listened. Hiccup stopped for a moment until continuing, but the hatred from last night only turned to sadness in his heart now. The wolves were enjoying their little harmony, and while the redhead paused, his friend opened his mouth and answered them once the singing had died away, his own queer noise echoing in the trees before falling silent.

After a few hours, Hiccup sat back, wiping away the sweat on his brow and looking over the steady progress they had made. It had gotten a bit deeper, but the further they went, the harder the wood. The teen sighed and looked up at the sky. Toothless would be getting hungry and the small storage of food he had packed was drying up.

"Come on, buddy," Hiccup called, motioning the Night Fury closer so he could get onto the dragon's back. "You hungry?"

Toothless snorted before leaping up into the air. Hiccup was able to see a stream close to the cave plus a small meadow where some deer were grazing with a large pond in the middle. The two soared over it for a while, before turning and heading out to sea. Staying close to the island, both boy and dragon kept a sharp look out for anything even remotely interesting.

After being thoroughly drenched with salt water, they landed back by the tree, Hiccup glaring accusingly at the smug Night Fury. "You did that on purpose," he said, pointing sharply with his finger. Toothless grinned and rolled over onto his back, tongue hanging out and legs sticking straight up in the air. Groaning in frustration, the redhead threw up his hands. "You are imposs—what are you doing?" He had looked over his shoulder to see Toothless' head close to the ground, bright toxic eyes looking up at him even as his back was arched highly.

The dragon was stalking him awkwardly, one leg up in the air. An innocent look covered Toothless' face before he retreated into the cave. Snorting, Hiccup rolled his eyes and settled down with his own meal, gathering together a bunch of rocks and digging a hole. As the fire slowly started up, he gutted and cleaned the fish, giving the leftovers to the Night Fury before roasting his meal over the flames.

After an hour or so, once his meal was done, Hiccup found himself curled once again with Toothless, eating the fish silently. When he was done, the sun had gone over the horizon, leaving the fire to be the only light source. The teen watched the dancing flames for a long time, absently scratching his friend's flank and earning a cheerful purr in response.

"What are we going to do?" Hiccup asked finally, pulling his knees up to his chest. "We can't stay here forever—" A loud snort answered him, and the teen stared up at the dragon. "Well, we could, but—"

There was a loud agonized howl that just about gave Hiccup a heart attack—it was nothing the first two, no, this one was jumbled with pain and panic. . He jumped up immediately, Toothless following. The teen paused before he rushed into the darkness though, grabbing a branch off the ground hand lighting it before making his way through the trees. Quickly, but carefully, they made their way over fallen logs and pushed past ferns that brushed against their knees.

Another howl answered the first, but it was further away, possibly on the other side of the island. Moving faster, Hiccup started to run. He burst through a clearing in the trees and—

Was stopped from plummeting into the canyon below by the sharp teeth closing around his vest. He stared at the makeshift torch as it spiraled down before hitting the churning rapids with a hiss and vanished. His feet hung limply, before the teen looked back up into the glittering, eerie green eye staring down at him. Toothless snorted and lifted his head up, taking a few steps backwards and dropping Hiccup into a heap on the ground.

"All right," He grumbled, climbing up onto the Night Fury's back. "No rushing head-on into things." They heard another howl, closer, and just beyond the trees on the other side. With a mighty push, the dragon and his boy were soaring, disguised in the moonless night as they watched the trees…

Well, Toothless more than Hiccup; the teen couldn't really see anything at this time of night, much less anything in the woods. When the dragon tipped downward, the booted foot adjusted automatically, bringing them into a small clearing between the trees. Hiccup dismounted quickly, looking around and took a step forward.

A harsh snarl stopped him in his tracks. He looked to his left, seeing a pair of glittering disks in the miniscule light. Taking a deep breath, the redhead stilled, tilting his head to the side. White fangs snapped at him and a pale hand rose to rest on Toothless' black snout, stopping him from returning the gesture.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said kindly, fishing in his pockets and finding the last of his dried meat. "It's all right," The teen approached slowly and noticed that the wolf was on the ground, its grey and brown head propped up just enough to glare hatefully at him. The muzzle was twisted and stained with dark red, the same color that was splattered across the left hind leg. "Oh, Baldr…" Hiccup whispered, his leaf-like gaze widening at the sight. "What has happened to you, servant of Odin?"

Rounded ears flattened against the round head and it snarled again, but less so once the black nose caught sent of the meat the redhead was offering. He tossed it out, letting the canine sniff the meat before grabbing it tenderly between two jaws and swallowing. They repeated this process for awhile, with Toothless standing back, poised just incase the wolf decided to strike.

It—_she_, Hiccup corrected after seeing the swollen belly—didn't but was perfectly docile, letting him come closer until she ate the meat straight from his hand. The redhead put the rest down to keep her busy as he looked over the injured leg. It had stopped bleeding, but looked awful; the skin torn and muscle shredded. In this light, the teen couldn't even tell if the bone was broken or not. Licking his lips, pale fingers touched the leg, keeping a sharp eye for any movement, before running it over the wound.

The she-wolf snarled, but was quickly smothered by Toothless' warning rumble. Worrying his lip, Hiccup grabbed three sticks from the ground, lining them up with the broken bone before tearing the bottom of his shirt off, wrapping it snugly around the injury, bandaging it and creating a splint at the same time.

For a moment, the redhead was quite proud of his accomplishment before he realized the possibility of an infection. Sighing, he moved the bandage around, exposing the bloodied fur to the world. Hiccup nodded and stood, wiping his hands on his vest and grinned. Toothless started to snarl menacingly and the boy turned to look at him. Toxic eyes were no longer focused on the she-wolf, but rather four other pairs of red disks that were glowing in the trees. A large, very, _very_ large wolf stepped out into the clearing, his dark fur bristling, ears perked forward, and tail held high.

"Time to go, Toothless," Hiccup whispered, easing his way closer to the dragon while the canine went to the female. The rest of the pack mates stepped out from the tree line, half were snarling hatefully, but one looked over them in curiosity. Green met a striking gold for just a second, reading the story in those wise, old eyes, before the teen mounted the Night Fury and they sprung back up into the air.

* * *

I know it's late guys! I thought that I wasn't going to be finished with it today but here it is!

No idea about updates tomorrow: I'm going up to Vail for a soccer game DX

Happy Reading and review!

Grim


	3. The Lame Goat

**DID YOU KNOW: **_That when the Romans began to purge Europe of Paganism, Thor—not Zeus/Jupiter or any of the other famous Gods, but __**Thor**__—became the symbol of the resistance?_

_**The Lame Goat**_

For the next few days, Hiccup's agenda mainly involved carving out the tree. He and Toothless would work from sunup to sundown trying to get through. It was four days when they got it to a space the Viking could sleep in, and six more to get enough area for the dragon.

When they had finally finished gutting the tree, Hiccup and Toothless played for an entire day. They flew and dove into the ocean, played a makeshift game of tag (in which they both had caught sight of a black ghost slipping in between the trees, heading towards the direction of the injured she-wolf). That night, when they sat around the fire, after the wolves howled, both boy and dragon joined in with their own music.

It was a relief to sleep on something slightly warm again, even if it was hard and lumpy and needed to be grinded down. Once his new house was complete, though, Hiccup set about making other things; like a bed and a table. It was easy enough—Toothless accidently knocked over a few trees while bounding along, the teen forced him to drag them back to the campsite and began to whittle. Bedding was easy to come across too; the wolves left the skin and fur of the beasts they hunted behind and the redhead took their leftovers.

He dried meat for the winter coming fast around the corner and made the fur into some new clothing to keep him safe in the cold months. Toothless gathered fish, eating most of it, but bringing back what he could from the stream when he and Hiccup didn't go out together. The teen found a nice rock to use as an anvil, and set about making other handy tools, like nails and a new knife from the iron he had. The small blade was kept underneath his new layers, just in case. He didn't want to catch up with whatever had caused the wolves trouble; but it would happen.

Because, even after befriending a dragon, he _was_ still Hiccup and trouble was attracted to him like Vikings to riches.

After a few hours of wind, Hiccup created a door that fit well over the opening and could be latched into place when the heavy snows finally came. They stored the food (most of the vegetation they had gathered) in the cave where it would be kept cold, the rest was in the tree, carefully out of reach of anything that decided to come a-calling.

Aspen leaves crackled underneath the redhead's feet, Toothless, beside him, was looking up at the wondrous colors that speckled the deciduous trees. Their green coloring had melted away to scarlet and shades of gold. Hiccup grinned in child-like wonder; Berk was mostly covered in conifers, the trees that grew through the summer and winter months, the tops of the southern trees were masterpieces to his eyes, their tops gleaming like fire.

They were going back to check on the injured She-wolf, the one Hiccup had nicknamed Lady. It was a slow walk; lazy after days of work and preparation. It had been a few weeks since he had last seen any of the illusive canines, and he just wanted to make sure Lady had healed and was able to go back to her own home.

After flying over the canyon, Hiccup found himself in the empty clearing where the wolf had been before. Grinning, the teen looked around, taking in the large trees and monstrous trunks. His fingers brushed the soft bark on one. Toothless nudged his head under the boy's hand, sniffing curiously. Something soft, wet, and cold brushed against the Viking's freckled cheek and green eyes rose up to the cloudy sky. Snowflakes fluttered around them, twirling in their own dance.

Hiccup reached out and caught one in his palm, smiling as it melted quickly before grabbing some more. He laughed, spinning around. Toothless caught on to his friend's happiness and pranced about, tackling the boy and rolling in the fallen leaves. Once the storm began to pick up, though, the two had to make their way back to the tree. The air was cold, and the teen found himself rubbing his arms quickly to keep them warm.

His breath fogged like smoke from a dragon, spinning around his head even after they landed. Hiccup gathered food to last a few days into the tree before he settled down on the bed, back against Toothless' side, and devised to wait it out. The tree groaned as the wind beat against it, the top was waving dangerously, but it had not lasted on this island for nothing. The door kept the furious cold out, but neither boy nor dragon could sleep.

To pass the time, the redhead grabbed a stick from the wood pile and began to whittle, collecting the pieces for the next fire. He made it round and bendable, before slowly making it into a bow. Hiccup had seen the Romans and Saxons use them, but Vikings were too proud to "cower behind a long range weapon". Hiccup had always been fascinated with the workings and taught himself whenever he could but went as far away from village eyes as possible.

In retrospect, he had sharpened his mind and body for the bow; easily finding things where others couldn't see, picking out the small objects… The teen learned to respect the archers of other civilizations and learned all that he could from watching safely up in a tree when, or even if, they invaded. Everything else was self taught.

Hiccup was, after all, useless in anything that had to do with close quarters… well, if you didn't count running, that is. He was a master at running, ducking, and dodging. The silver knife worked quickly, glinting in the light.

It went on like that for two days and with the food storage running low, the redhead was glad when the tree stopped groaning and stood still. Toothless perked up with built up energy, pouncing about but careful not to break the table or burst through the walls.

Shaking his head, Hiccup pushed the door open, grunting softly when the snow blocked his path. The cold smacked him in the face, making the teen wince and pull back a bit, just to fix a deer cap over his head. His eyes adjusted to the soft white outside, the snowflakes coming down less harshly than before. They fluttered innocently, twirled about by the smallest breeze.

Grinning, the teen watched it all for a moment, before his gaze landed on two hazel eyes. The wolf was not very tall, but slim and flexible, grey peppered the thick coat and, on its face, the light coloring was split from the black nose to the ears with a soft rust. The furry ears were pointing forward, and it tilted its head to the side, watching him with curiosity and wisdom before looking towards the sky.

Following the creature's gaze, Hiccup saw a small opening in the clouds, revealing the bright, blue sky beyond. The wolf sneezed and sniffed around the cave for a few minutes, until it startled Hiccup with a happy howl. One light front leg was lifted and curled back, the small eyes closed. Its breath came out like a small ghost; dancing upwards until it vanished.

An answer came beyond the trees to their left, followed by another to the right. The grey tail wagged excitedly as a pure white female padded across the snow. Her mouth was open, tongue lapping out, before she snapped to attention, looking over Hiccup. A male came up beside her, about twice her height—and looking as if he was bred to face down bears—with a broad chest and buckskin colored coat. There was a long, pink scar across his muzzle.

It was the next two that made Hiccup tremble; a large black male (easily towering over the others) had pressed himself against Lady, guiding her along as she limped through the snow. Relief flooded through him at the absence of blood, and the wolf's eyes watched him patiently, knowingly. He watched in sadness as each of the canines greeted each other; tails wagging, whining, and jumping around playfully.

The grey and rust colored wolf paused before bounding over to him, sniffing at his clothing and paused at a dark growl coming from his alpha. Slinking away, but not taking his eyes off the boy, the canine returned to his pack. Silently, Hiccup watched as they moved into the darkness of the cave before closing the door and looking at Toothless.

A long, black tail wrapped slowly around the boy's form, and a light purr eased him to sleep.

In the morning, Hiccup decided that they should at least go fishing and dragged the reluctant Night Fury along. But when they reached the frozen stream, the dragon was prancing and rolling about in the snow. Laughing, the teen cut a twig in half, sharpening one side into a point. He tied the two together with some cloth from his old tunic, tying the wood together, and fastened some rope to the end.

As bait, he placed a fish's stomach. For awhile, they walked along the snow covered edge, making their way up higher and higher. Toothless was bounding forward, laughing in only a way a dragon could. Finding a suitable place to fish, the Viking paused and began to beat at the ice with a rock. It cracked, but so did something else.

Hiccup heard the most horrific noise and froze, the smile vanishing from his face, fishing pole out over the snow banks. Toothless looked up, his ears higher than normal as he listened before jumping up and raced towards the redhead. Their eyes met before the snow and ice shattered beneath the teen's feet and he plummeted into the waters below.

* * *

Oh, I'm cruel, aren't I?

So I've been getting a lot of questions about why the tree doesn't fall or about the wolf's injury so here's a FAQ for you all:

_Q: Why isn't the tree falling?_

_A: Well, it's a redwood. They are an average of 26 ft in diameter and 360ft tall. Hiccup doesn't want to knock it over; he's just gutting it._

_Q: Are they going to use the tree to build a home?_

_A: No, they're using the inside of the tree as a home._

_Q: Why did Hiccup expose the wolf's wound?_

_A: because no matter how much Hiccup does to it with his knowledge of medicine; nothing would ever clean it better than the tongue of a wolf._

I hoped that helped all you people!

Happy reading and reviewing!

Grim


	4. Thialfi and Roskva

**WARNING!**

**THIS CHAPTER HAS DEATH AND BLOOD**

**DO NOT READ IF THINGS DYING MAKES YOU QUEASY OR IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT SCREAM WHEN SOMETHING IS BEING EATEN ON ANIMAL PLANET!**

It's not too graphic and I watched Planet Earth three times to get this right… Yeah, I'm a geek.

Get used to it.

* * *

**DID YOU KNOW:**_ That the wolf was a symbol of Odin and represented the heart of the family to Norse cultures? It is always deemed as ironic since Odin's fate at Ragnarök was to be killed by Fenrir, the wolf-son of Loki._

_**Thialfi and Roskva**_

Hiccup's senses were overwhelmed. He twisted and turned, the world flashing black and white, skin going numb, his muscles refused to obey any thought or instinct from his brain. Heat brushed across his back for just a moment, the water tuning into steam as a flash of blue melted the covering keeping him under. For a sparse moment, the teen's face surfaced before he was dragged back under.

Toothless was following him frantically, but the redhead lost sight of the large dragon when he vanished under the coating of ice once more. A large boulder slammed into his side, driving the rest of the air from his lungs in a hurricane of bubbles. His vision was darkening, the coldness seeping into his body… Hiccup was so concerned about staying awake, he didn't see the ice clear, but he certainly felt something grab his forearm and almost yank out his shoulder.

Not having enough energy to even scream, the Viking found himself being dragged up onto the shore, shivering desperately, coughing violently, his clothing soaked completely through. He clung to the warmth that was pressing into his body before it was whisked away, replaced by an even greater heat that was rocking him slowly, back and forth, luring him into a slight doze. His eyes were still slightly open, though and caught a flash of red and grey against the blinding white.

It was awhile before Hiccup finally gained his bearings. There was Toothless' scaled body against his back. His vest and shirt had been removed (though he didn't remember how) and his pale skin had been warmed comfortably. To his front, something soft was pressed against his stomach. The teen's left hand had woven into silky fur and hot breaths were brushing against his neck.

There was a heavy weight across his legs and his limbs no longer felt numb, but they were sluggish and his fingers tingled uncomfortably. The furry boots had been pulled off his feet and were wrapped in a black cocoon, quickly heating up his stinging toes and skin. The clothing felt crusty and uncomfortable against his body, itching something fierce.

"Mmmm, T-Toothless?" Hiccup's throat hurt and felt like it was on fire, the words came out slurred and soft, not at all what they had been before all the chaos.

Behind him, the Night Fury purred happily and pressed his wide snout against the teen's mop of red hair. A light rumble shook the dragon's large body and two awkward arms closed around the boy's slim form, pulling him closer. It was dark, very dark, Hiccup decided, slowly opening his eyes. Why was it so dark?

His fingers tightened on the silk beneath his palm and something wet nudged his face. A large, leather wing curled back and green eyes blinked desperately as the retinas burned at the brightness of the snow outside. But he got a good look at the grey and red muzzle on the tree's floor, gold eyes staring curiously up at him.

Shaking his head slightly, Hiccup was going to withdraw his fingers when a sharp growl stopped him. The wolf looked pleased when the hand lowered again, eerie eyes half covered and lazy. For a moment, the teen was startled when he heard two thumps. Picking his head slightly up off the floor, leaf-green eyes watched the fluffy tail hit the wood a few more times before stilling.

Weak and sore, the young Viking was forced to place his head back against Toothless, feeling the dragon's warmth slowly sweeping into his veins. The tingling in his phalanges was beginning to fade into a dull, uncomfortable throb, but he smiled and let his eyes close once more, finding himself in the comforting warmth of family.

_Home?_ His consciousness thought meekly like the Cowardly Lion, not wanting to be in the center of attention. _Yeah_, Hiccup decided drowsily. _Home… home and a family…_

A loud howl awoke him an hour later; the teen was warm, almost unbearably, but it was so much nicer than the cold he had felt before. Silk was no longer under his fingertips and his legs could move freely. Toothless was still at the teen's back, purring in his sleep. Hiccup's throat was uncomfortably dry; tasting like dirt and dried meat. Slowly, the redhead rolled out from under the Night Fury's wing and set about boiling some snow for water.

His boots were pulled on quickly, smelling like damp leaves. Slowly, the rest of the dry clothing was put on before Hiccup made his way outside. The wolves were lining up (except for Lady) and, for the first time, the Viking found himself naming the canines. The grey and rusty colored wolf was soon named Lagoon, his stance always as calm but hidden like a swamp. Next to him, the large tan male, was tagged as Dark, the black lips curling back at the sight of the human, but the wolf didn't act.

Especially because of the white female. Her eyes glowed eerily from her beautiful coat and Hiccup remembered the stories from the south, of quick and agile reptiles that were poisonous and could easily kill a fully grown man with one bite. Easily, the teen dubbed her as Viper; she was already less interested in him than the others, her attention turning elsewhere.

Stepping out of the cave was the black beast named Lord. His shoulder stood easily at Hiccup's waist, head almost to the skinny chest. The Alpha wolf had calmed down just a tiny bit after a few days, his attention more on the future of his pack, or, more importantly; his pregnant mate.

Hiccup watched as the others greeted their leader easily, bounding around him. Lagoon even went so far as to bumping up against him, rubbing their cheeks together before bounding away, his long legs easily skimming over the deep snow until he was tackled by a waiting Viper.

Laughing heartily, the teen watched as he lit a fire, cupping snow in his hands (making a note to make himself some gloves next and carving out a bowl next) and holding them partially away from the flames. Dark barked, as if laughing before scooping some snow up into his mouth and swallowing it. Looking over the dying flames (the ground and wood was too wet), Hiccup decided to copy the canine. He swallowed more handfuls than he thought would have been necessary, but his thirst was quenched.

Lord sneezed and turned his muzzle to the sky, staring up at the dreary heavens, before barking sharply at the others. They all came to attention immediately, each taking their turn to lick his chin before bounding off into the trees. On a sheer burst of foolishness (or something else, he couldn't really tell) Hiccup found his bow and the few arrows he had made and ran after them, curiosity taking over his mind.

He followed them through the trees, jogging before he caught up with Lagoon. The wolf wagged his tail at the sight of the Viking, woofing when he noticed that the teen had to use a lot of energy just to trudge through the snow. Each of the canines were walking in a single file line; walking easily through a path that had been carved over many days.

Lagoon snorted and looked behind him before turning back to Hiccup. Sighing, the redhead fell behind the wolf, swinging his weapon across his back. The group moved faster until they reached the canyon and, without stopping, Dark took a sharp left and followed it up towards the center of the island, he pushed through snow that had gathered, but other than that, the path was clear.

It was quite clearly a place they had gone before when they reached a Redwood that had fallen across the canyon. The log was thick enough to fit Toothless and a Nadder on it, possibly strong enough to hold them, too. Hiccup walked behind Lagoon, careful to keep his eyes forward, not looking down. Not that he wasn't afraid of heights (how could he be?) but because of the dizziness that normally came from staring downward, the swaying and tilting of being slightly off balance…

Hiccup shook his head, clearing the thoughts and picking up his pace behind the anxious wolves. Dark was partially jogging now, jumping down off the wood and tearing through the snow down another path. Following clumsily, the teen leaped down after them, rubbing his hands together as the chill fully assaulted them. A brisk wind brushed the red hair back, revealing his slightly pink cheeks to the world.

Pale hands pulled the hat down farther over his ears. Dark paused, sniffing the cold air before continuing, his tan body moving steadily through the snow. Worrying his lip, Hiccup watched as the bodies of the two other canines tensed before both branched off, darting into the woods. The young Viking watched them go, staying with Dark before they burst into the meadow.

Deer, both young and old, were gathered together in a tight circle. Some had pressed their noses into the snow, looking for any type of food, not noticing the white and grey ghost darting around to surround them. Completely still now, Dark watched them with calculating eyes, his head lowered to the ground, eerie eyes glaring out into the herd.

Lagoon and Viper paused at the exact moment, the grey wolf pacing eagerly, his tongue hanging out, long legs pressing down on the whiteness beneath him. Then, on an unspoken signal, Viper lunged forward, barking and racing at the paranoid creatures that shrieked and scattered. Snow flung out behind the stampeding herd as she pointed them towards the gap between the three males.

Next went Lagoon, a streak against the brightness. His body was a blur as he flew over the snow, making the group turn once more, a few, though, were now lagging behind. Hiccup stood still as the wolf beside him growled, pleased, before bursting out into the meadow. Dark ignored the herd; his presence was enough to send them into panic, leaving a weary, old buck to stumble behind.

The teen watched in wonder as the canines circled it away from the rest, blocking off any escape. Back hooves missed Lagoon's snout by inches and Viper had to dance away from stomping forelegs. It was tiring, grey on the nuzzle showing the beast's true age before it fell under the weight of Dark latching onto it's back, jaws closing easily around the dorsal of the neck.

Both tumbled and fell harshly into the snow, sending up clouds of glittering Crystals. Hooves kicked out desperately as sharp teeth dug into the thick hide. There was a horrible cracking noise before crimson spilled out over the ivory and the hooves stopped, falling limp to the ground. Shaking his head back and forth, Dark made sure the buck was dead before pulling back, his tongue lagging, breath creating small clouds as he panted. Lagoon barked, sliding to a stop by the still flank, teeth hovering over the coat, Viper following, her footsteps proud and head held high.

Their meal was quickly interrupted by a short, panicked howl that came from the direction of the tree. Every single head rose, each muzzle pointing towards the woods. Viper was the first to move, racing back into the trees with Lagoon following just as fast. Dark looked back at the deer, whining and grabbing a leg, pulling but not getting anywhere; the snow stilling the already heavy animal.

Disappointed, the tan wolf turned and brushed past Hiccup, following his pack-mates. The young Viking stared at the dead deer before sighing and, sliding the bow around his chest and sticking the arrows in his teeth, grabbed the body and slung it over his shoulders. He staggered under the weight, stumbling before regaining his balance and walking back down the path Dark had carved out, following it back through the woods, away from the blood stained clearing.

Hiccup reached the redwood trunk and stared at it for a few seconds before making his way up onto the makeshift bridge. He teetered wildly on the bark, but green eyes stared firmly on the end, not daring to even glance down. Deep breaths calmed his racing heart, but nothing prepared him for the unsuspecting little bit of ice that was hidden under the snow.

Yelping, he slid, the buck landed harshly on the log even as the teen grasped frantically at the wood. Something shot out, wrapping around his stomach. The wind knocked out of his lungs, Hiccup held onto the warm tail that circled his hips and abdomen. Slowly, his gaze moved upward, seeing the amused eyes of Toothless. The dragon rumbled before pulling the teen towards him, placing him in a heap on the wet and cold ground.

With envious ease, the Night Fury leaped up onto the trunk and grabbed the midsection of the buck between his teeth and turned back around, spreading his wings to lengthen his jump so that he landed beside the breathless teen. Shaking his head, Hiccup got up onto his feet, walking beside the very proud Toothless. The dragon strutted until the young Viking got him with a snowball on the nose.

Indignantly, the Night Fury chased him all the way back to the tree. Falling into the snow outside the den, making Dark scramble away, the young Viking was gasping and was soon about to drown in dragon slobber as Toothless ruthlessly licked him after tossing the dead buck to the side. The sandpaper tongue roughly dragged along freckled skin, and a single paw gently held the wriggling boy still.

"T-Toothless!" The boy begged, laughing heartily, trying to push away the large, ellipse shaped head. "S-stop! Sto—" Hiccup was cut off as another wave of laughter coursed through him. One of the wolves woofed as the Night Fury slowed down, staring at the teen with victorious toxic eyes. Panting, the redhead stayed there in the snow even after his friend got off until a wet, black nose brushed his face.

Lagoon was sitting beside his head, tail wagging and tongue lolling. Snorting, Hiccup reached up and tackled the canine, both going down into the snow with a soft _oomph_. The woods were filled with giddy laughter, both human and wolf wrestling. After an hour, they were both still on the ground, Lagoon curled into Hiccup, resting his muzzle on the thin chest as small fingers brushed through his fur.

A deeper bark came form the cave, one that Hiccup recognized as Lord. The black wolf stepped out into the snow, his tail was wagging happily, and jumped about with his family. Hiccup pushed himself to his feet, following the grey and rusty canine over to the happy pack. Toothless was curled outside the tree, watching in curiosity and cuddled close to the teen as he sat beside the ebony beast.

One by one, they watched as each of the wolves vanished into the cave, happy barks and joyous growls following them. When Viper vanished into the darkness, the last out of the pack-mates, Lord found his way to the human and dragon. His gold eyes looked over the two of them, carefully examining before he gently grabbed Hiccup by the vest and gently pulled him towards the cave.

Once Viper had reappeared, the redhead was butted in. For a moment, the young Viking paused to let his eyes adjust to the darkness and he noticed a large, breathing lump in the corner. Lady lifted her head as he came close, but it wasn't her that caught Hiccup's attention.

It was the four, beautiful pups at her side.

* * *

Didn't that make up for the cruel ending of last chapter? Oh, and Lady gave birth so late because one; up north you people may have a brighter summer, but the weather changes quickly (I know, I live in Colorado—no other explanation needed and I based it off of that). If that doesn't suit your fancy, fine.

She went into heat late. XP

**Lady**: Grey-white and smaller than Black and Dark but bigger than Viper

**Lord**: Biggest of them all and completely black

**Dark**: Tan with some dark splotches; big enough to look like he can take on a bear

**Lagoon**: Grey, with a rust colored stripe down his back. A runner

**Viper**: White female wolf. A runner

I haven't gotten to any of my reviewers, but thank you so much for your continued support (including all you lurkers; YES! I SEE YOU!). Please don't stop sending in your thoughts! EVERY ONE GETS PUDDING! CHOCOLATE PUDDING! *Hands out bowls*

Happy Reading!

Grim


	5. Skrymir the Giant and Mjolnir

**DID YOU KNOW:** _That Vikings have only been called Vikings for the past one hundred years? Early on, they were simply known as Pirates, their history destroyed by the inhabitants of the United Kingdom, France, and Rome._

_**Skrymir the Giant and Mjolnir **_

It was an eerie glow that settled around Berk; the strangeness that went with lunar light reflecting off the snow and making midnight look like morning. For some Vikings, it was a blessing. The subtle comfort that nothing would attack because it was too cold for the smaller reptiles; their bodies couldn't handle the cold. And the dragons never attacked on nights like this—in which they could very easily be spotted by the Night Guards.

To Astrid Hofferson, tonight was the worst. While her footsteps were muffled by the packed snow, the red and light brown of her clothing was not. The blonde stuck to clinging to the shadows, the outskirts, but was close enough so that her footprints wouldn't be deemed as suspicious.

She was working her way to Raven Point, past the Main Hall and Stoick's home, and to where her fellow Vikings would be waiting for her… Unless one of them managed to get caught, but as they have done this before—many times in the past, even—Astrid did not fear for them. Right now, the young woman was focusing on the open space between the village and the Chief's home.

Deciding to be casual in case someone did look her way, Astrid tucked her hands into the small pockets on her vest and quickly made her way up the main path, preparing the excuse that she was hungry in her mind should a large hand wrap around her forearm.

None came, but she entered the main hall anyway, leaning against the wall in the comforting darkness, rubbing small hands together before inching out the doors, looking out over Berk. There wasn't a Night Guard in sight, and she easily slipped through the doors and moved back around the rock to the forest on the other side. She carefully stepped in the footprints before her, leaving only one trail behind.

Astrid branched off with the others at the trees where the ground had already been pounded flat. The path was already burned into her mind as she followed it with only half a mind, the rest of her thoughts were on the red haired boy and the black dragon that had left them in the dust of confused thoughts and deep guilt. Stoick had believed the Night Fury had managed to hypnotize his son and forced the teen to obey it, but she had seen friendship between the two. Watched how they moved flawlessly through the sky.

"Get your head out of the clouds, Hofferson," Something hit her roughly on the back and the blonde's eyes turned to stare at the large boy coming up beside her.

"If you want to keep your hands," Astrid grounded out. "You will keep them to yourself."

Sharp laughter came from the other side of the small clearing. Ruffnut slapped her brother on the back. "She's taken, Snotlout, didn't you know?"

Red flowed over Astrid's cheeks, but more of a mix of anger than embarrassment. Sneering, she punched the other girl harshly on the shoulder, sending her tumbling into the snow. Grinning victoriously, the blonde moved away, perching on her own rock, watching as Ruffnut turned her attention to her brother, tackling him around the waist. After a moment of watching them, Snotlout stood to break them apart.

"All right, guys. That's enough," He said, pulling Tuffnut off his sister. "We have other things to do than watch you two provide us with entertainment."

Fishlegs murmured in agreement, wrapping his hands around his thick arms and looking over the other teenagers. He seemed a bit sadder than the rest, and Astrid suddenly remembered that the large teen had once been good friends with Hiccup until he had been placed with the fire fighters and they grew incredibly distant over the years.

"This meeting has been called—"

Ruffnut groaned loudly, sitting with her back up against her own boulder, head leaning back against it as blue eyes turned exasperatedly to the lit sky. "Enough with the formal crap, Snotlout, and get to the point." She was pulling at her gloves, careful to not slowly take it apart at the seams.

"All right, all right," The dark Viking grumbled, looking slightly put off that he had been interrupted. "Sheesh… so everyone thinks that Stoick has been knocked over the head sometime in the past few days—"

"More like the past _month_…" Tuffnut grumbled to his sister, earning Snotlout's ire once more.

"Are you going to let me finish?"

Once again, Ruffnut rolled her eyes. "No, everyone hates your voice, shut up."

Snotlout flushed in anger, grinding his teeth and taking a threatening step towards the girl. "Like you're any—"

"Knock it off!" Astrid hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously and the two quickly separated. "This is not the time to be trolls! So sit down, shut up, and don't you dare do anything stupid." They quickly did as she ordered; ignoring the fact that she didn't have a weapon. Taking a few deep breaths, she turned to the burly kid beside her. "Fishlegs? You said this morning that your parents haven't been coming home as early as before."

He nodded frantically, eyes wide and staring at her. "Stoick's making them build a fleet of ships, or enough to carry the entire tribe comfortably."

Snotlout perked up at that, "Yeah, I saw my father going down to the docks, did he talk to your parents, Fish?"

"I don't know," Fishlegs replied, eyebrows knitting together, making the helmet on his head look even smaller. "I was helping Gobber fix a new mast to _Old Saxon_. Do you suppose it was about the boats?"

"There's no doubt about it now," Astrid muttered. "No matter what your father can do, Snot, he is _not_ a fisherman."

Snotlout nodded in agreement, not even bothering to deny it. "He hates water, after what happened to Vahallamara, he's only gone near it when ordered to or leaving for a raid. Since there's no raid, I'm assuming that Stoick ordered him to do it."

"But he came up after my parents did," Fishlegs pointed out. "Why would he stay down there even after the talk he had with my dad?"

"He was checking the ice," both Nuts said at the same time, earning a group of confused glances. Ruffnut shrugged, "My mom ("she's my mom too, stupid!" Tuffnut snarled) does it all the time for the calendar; each morning she would go down to the docks and check the ice to determine how close it is to winter's end."

Astrid shook her head, amazed at how little they actually knew about each other. "How close is it to the ice melting?"

Tuffnut shrugged. "At least a few months," he shoved his sister's face in the snow, sitting on her back. "The ice is still growing; it's too dangerous for any Viking to sail out too far."

"We need to get a warning to Hiccup," Fishlegs muttered. "When spring comes, there won't be anything stopping them from going out to find him."

Pushing her brother off, Ruffnut stood, brushing the snow from her body. "If he's still alive, that is." Her hands shot up in surrender when all eyes turned to her. "Admit it, guys; do you see Hiccup being able to survive out there, on his own, _in the wild_?"

Having opened her mouth to contradict the twin, Astrid let her jaw snap shut, thinking on the words before sagging, knowing it was true. "Then what do you suppose we do?" She muttered. "None of us could go sail and find him," her fingers picked at her jacket.

"Doesn't the elder have a messenger eagle?" Fishlegs asked, looking at the blonde girl beside him.

Shrugging, Astrid grinned. "She has plenty and one of them…" Her eyes lit up in realization before turning away, looking over the others. "Doesn't one belong to the chief family? I've heard Hiccup speak about it…"

"Hiccup has a messenger Eagle?"

"It was a gift from the elder last spring," Snotlout pointed out. "He was the only one who wanted the pitiful creature. Stoick thought the bird was hopeless; now it's the fastest and smartest in Berk." He shook his head. "And that damn bird can find him _anywhere_. Remember when he disappeared last winter? It was the eagle that found him."

The clearing stilled, each of them seemingly thinking the same thing as their eyes glinted and similar grins passed between them.

Snotlout clapped his hands together, "So it's settled; Astrid will send a letter to Hiccup—"

"Me?" The blonde asked, her eyebrows raised high. "What makes you think that I should be the one to send him a letter?"

"Because, stupid," Ruffnut snapped, rolling her eyes. "What do you think his first action would be if one of us writes? He doesn't trust us! In fact, it'll probably push him farther away. That's why _you_ have to be the one to get his attention. He'll listen to you."

The others nodded in agreement; each of them piercing her with a daring look until Astrid finally sighed and nodded. "All right, I'll write the letter, but Snotlout better get me that damn eagle!"

Grinning, the boy just stood and hurried off while Tuffnut, as if knowing this would be the plan from the start—perhaps it was and she had just been danced about like a puppet on strings—pulled out some torn and dirty parchment while Fishlegs handed her his charcoal stick.

Taking a deep breath, Astrid placed the make-shift pencil to the paper and began to write.

* * *

Ladies and Gentlemen; I am both sad and proud to announce that finals have smacked me in the face and I must place all (or most) of my time into studying. Granted, I will write as much as I can, when I can, but that time is running short and is filling up with more crappy written notes being shoved into my poor and beaten brain. I am proud to say that only my four biggest finals are left, and that the two that I have already taken were easier than turning an oven on.

Review, study hard, and Happy Reading!

Grim


	6. Arriving at Castle Utgard

This is Grim's brother again; she snuck in a few words typing with her left hand so that no one would know her password, but here I am, uploading for her and partially finishing the chapter. She's doing all right and was really touched by all the people concerned about her.  
Right now she's having an argument with the doctor about going down for another X-Ray (she hates the things, finds them obnoxious).

Grim would also like to know that you can all have flowers from the insane amount that are decorating her bedside—really, it looks like a greenhouse in the hospital room and it's become so bad that she's asking to people to forget the flowers and just bring her candy and movies to watch.

This chapter is pretty short due to the impossibility and the impatience of Grim and I, no other reason. Her writing sounds absolutely chaotic when she says it out loud and I can't type as fast as she talks.

That causes difficulties.

Again she's told me to wish you all happy reading, writing and gives out her love and jealousy for those people who aren't sick or stuck in bed.

* * *

**DID YOU KNOW: **_That Valhalla served a darker purpose? The warriors taken by the Valkyries would battle for the survival of the Gods during Ragnarök in which Thor would be slain by Jormungandr and Odin would die ironically by Fenrir—the wolf son of Loki._

_**Arriving at Castle Utgard**_

Hiccup woke the next morning to a furious screech and the noise of happy barking. Rubbing his hands over his eyes, the teen stumbled to his feet, pulling his boots on and having to pause and change them, having put them on the wrong feet, before pushing his way outside. "Whaz goin' on?" He muttered, watching Lagoon jumping up and down, snapping at a small golden eagle that had a roll of parchment tied around its leg.

Frowning, he eyed the black splatters across the tan feathers and whistled, could he dare to hope?

The bird of prey made its way towards the boy, landing on his shoulder and glaring hatefully down at the canine that was prancing in circles around the Viking. Laughing, Hiccup removed the letter from the talons, bringing the Eagle inside the tree, absently petting the breast of his old pet. Toothless perked up when he came back in, toxic eyes watching the new creature curiously.

"Ah, Iron Claw, this is Toothless," The Night Fury snorted and shook himself, going back to sleep. Rolling his eyes, Hiccup settled down at the table, gently untying the letter from the long leg. Iron Claw hopped back, pressing his head under a gold wing as Hiccup unrolled the scrolled paper.

At first, the handwriting was smudged, dirtied, and almost unreadable. Scowling, the teen tried to make all that he could out of the hastily scribbled writing, ignoring the amused dragon and wolf watching him now. "Pleasant," Hiccup muttered, brushing his longer bangs out of his eyes. It took a few minutes to scratch off the dirt on the parchment without taking off the charcoal in the same moment, but the Viking managed to do it, grinning in victory before curling up against Toothless.

His eyes widened when he realized just _who_ had written it. "It's from Astrid," Hiccup muttered, bringing his face in close; the parchment smelled like Berk. "She—she says that," The teen had to pause, frowning in confusion. "The village is in chaos? Dear Thor she needs to write more…"

Toothless nudged the skinny shoulder with his snout, huffing his impatience.

"Yeah, yeah…" Hiccup cleared his throat and began to read aloud;

_I hope this finds you, because if it doesn't…well, let's not think about that, shall we? Berk is getting colder (but I'm sure you know that, wherever you are) and… it's quiet. Too quiet. They don't want us to know, but their waiting for the ice to melt, they want to find __**you**__ and bring you back._

_Everything is in chaos. Stoick, my mother… Gobber is the only one that makes sense. Fishlegs told us that his parents have been charged to make a fleet. Enough ships to carry the Vikings wherever they're going._

_I pray to Vör that you know what you doing… Please tell me you know what you're doing!_

_We have to speak at night now, all of us, we believe you, but now—with everyone so panicked—it's hard to know who we can trust. They're coming for you Hiccup, and none of them will take no for an answer. Astrid._

The teen took in a sharp breath, eyes flickering over the words again before grabbing his own charcoal stick. Tearing a piece of parchment out of his own journal, Hiccup sat there and stared at the wall of his new home for a moment then, taking a shuddering breath, began to write.

It was somewhat a small satisfaction when he realized that his handwriting was still legible (Valhalla help him if Astrid ever finds out her thought himself better than _her_ at anything), but the twisting in his stomach made it somewhat less of a victory. "_Astrid_," he whispered as he wrote, "_Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Not too far from home if you know what I mean. I'm taking care of myself with the resources that I can find, even made a friend or two in the process._" He paused to tap the makeshift pencil on the table. "_You're right, I do know that Berk is freezing—this place is freezing too, but not as bad; the trees keep the cold away._

_It would be best, though, if you don't write again unless it is an emergency. My father knows Iron Claw, and if he sees him leaving… well, you could be executed for treason, then I'd have to come and rescue you, and we really can't have that. Please, be careful._" Here he stopped, worrying his lip, deciding whether or not he should sign it. The Viking's mind settled on _yes_ and the tip scratched against the paper one last time."_Hogi._"

Before he could loose his nerve, Hiccup tied the letter to Iron Claw's talons and watched as the bird lifted up into the air, a dark speck among the shocking white. Leaning up against the tree, the Viking stared up at the sky but didn't see it. His fingers drummed out against the flaky bark, but a wet nose pressing against his calf made him pause. "Hello, Lagoon." The teen muttered, kneeling down to the wolf and scratching roughly behind the pointed ears.

Woofing, the canine leaned forward, almost pushing Hiccup over. Laughing, the redhead turned to catch Toothless' gaze and the dragon—seemingly sensing his friend's gaze—rolled over on his back, playfully stretching out his legs and rolling about like a kitten high of catnip. Still chuckling, pale hands pushed Lagoon back into the snow before the young Viking was racing off between the trees.

He could hear the wolf giving chase and knew that the animal could easily catch up to him, but for some reason, Lagoon decided to enjoy the chase as they weaved in and out of the wide reddish-brown trees. It soon turned into a game of tag with them dancing around each other (a careful Toothless joining in with a flurry of white and black). A nose here, a hand brushing scales or fur, and then Hiccup collapsed against them, joy bubbling up in his throat as he forgot about Astrid and Berk and his father while simply enjoying the cool compression of the snow.

Their breathing fogged in the air, condensing and then vanishing into the sky.

It was only after an hour or so of just enjoying the day that Lagoon squirmed away from them and, with a bark, padded off into the trees. He seemed unconcerned, rubbing against trunks and rolling across large roots. Shrugging, Hiccup and Toothless got up to follow until the canine brought them to the river.

The ice had broken away over the night—the waters rushing by swiftly and uncomfortably. A few sprays made Hiccup shiver, but his eyes stayed firmly on Lagoon who was prancing up and down the beach like some enamored puppy.

Then, he leaped into the rushing blue and white, his fur vanishing for a moment and then appeared again—completely dry—on one of the large boulders in the center of the river. The rusty tail wagged playful before he moved, landing on the next stone and facing the redhead, titling his head to the side and motioning the teen forward. Taking a deep breath, the Viking leaped on faith—and landed on the rock. His arms were outstretched to balance his terribly wobbling body.

There was no ice—surprisingly—only the rough texture of stone and Hiccup wondered, for just a moment, how many times the wolves had actually used this path when crossing instead of using the makeshift bridge on the gorge.

Leaf green eyes caught the amused gold before the wolf moved on, jumping from rock to rock. Hiccup followed, with considerably less confidence than the wolf. The ice was below them, and he had no desire to repeat what had happened a few days prior. Both paused when the stones reached a log lying across the river. Sneezing, Lagoon looked back once more before springing.

The teen watched with baited breath as the canine soared—and landed gracefully on the wood. Shaking his head and chuckling softly, Hiccup took the next jump, paused, then lunged for the log. His fingers touched to wood and he managed to pull himself up onto the makeshift bridge grunting and panting all the way. For a moment, he just sat there on the wood with a pair of gold eyes and toxic green both watching him with pride.

Sneezing, Lagoon padded to the other side, dropping down into the unblemished snow. With a large leap (partially spreading his wings) Toothless followed a few yards up the river. For a moment, Hiccup felt jealousy rise up in his chest at the ease in which the Night Fury had adapted to his grounded state, yet still, somehow, managed to defy gravity.

Biting his lip, Hiccup squashed the feeling as quickly as it had come, following both of the creatures as they led him through the woods.


End file.
